Mason and we still remember that Preston game

He had a very good game in that Blackburn game, probably the best of his seven games refereeing Burnley, but the mere mention of his name has Burnley fans recalling that game against Preston in December 2007.

It was a horror show from him from the very instant he failed to award us a penalty for handball on the line in the second minute. Matt Hill should have been sent off and Preston should have been facing a spot kick.

To this day I find it hard to believe he didn't give it but it was all made worse as bottom club North End won 3-2 against a Burnley team that finished with nine men. I've no argument with the Chris McCann red card, although had he given the foul on him seconds earlier it wouldn't have happened, but the red card for Joey Gudjonsson for stamping, which we appealed and failed, was absolutely ridiculous.

His next Burnley game was the same fixture in the following season. This time I think it was the Preston fans who were unhappy, and rightly so, with his performance.

Since, in fairness, we haven't had problems with him other than him not sure what to do as the wind took over at Blackpool in 2009. I think he should have called it off; I'm delighted he didn't and I'm sure Christian Kalvenes will agree with him as he scored his only Burnley goal to win the game for us.

He's refereed 18 games this season. Of those, 13 have been in the Premier League, one in the Championship, one in League One plus three cup ties. In those games he's handed out 57 yellow cards and five red cards.

Of the yellow cards, 27 have gone to home team players and 30 to away team players.  The most recent of his red cards was on the last Saturday before Christmas when he sent off Villa's Gabriel Agbonlahor against Man United, which was successfully appealed.

His last game was last Sunday's FA Cup game between Bristol City and West Ham. There were two yellow cards in that game, Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble, both of West Ham.

Hopefully, tomorrow, he'll be nothing like the Lee Mason who refereed that Preston game over seven years ago.

The assistant referees are Andy Halliday (North Yorkshire) and Derek Eaton (Gloucestershire). The fourth official is Graham Scott (Oxfordshire) whose refereed just one Premier League game, our home game against Aston Villa in November.

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